Annapurna Interactive

Annapurna Games, LLC (trade name: Annapurna Interactive)[1] is an American Independent video game publisher. The company is a division of Annapurna Pictures, and was founded in 2016. Some notable games released by the company include Sayonara Wild Hearts, What Remains of Edith Finch, The Pathless, Maquette, Kentucky Route Zero, Gorogoa, Donut County, and Outer Wilds.

Annapurna Games, LLC
Annapurna Interactive
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryVideo games
FoundedDecember 1, 2016 (2016-12-01)
FounderMegan Ellison
Nathan Gary
James Masi
Headquarters
West Hollywood, California
,
US
ParentAnnapurna Pictures
Websiteannapurnainteractive.com

History

The company was founded as a division of Annapurna Pictures on December 1, 2016 as Annapurna's attempt to expand into the video game industry. The company's early staff was composed of existing Annapurna executives, producer Neale Hemrajani and Technology Head James Masi along with several video game veterans, including Nathan Gary, Deborah Mars, Hector Sanchez, and Jeff Legaspi, who had worked in Sony Interactive Entertainment and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.[2] Jenova Chen also served as the company's advisor. The company aimed to publish games that are "personal, emotional, and original".[3]

On the day of establishment, the company announced several publishing deals it had signed with several independent developers. Some of the first games published by the company included Gorogoa, What Remains of Edith Finch, Wattam, and Florence.[4] In 2017, Annapurna announced that it would begin publishing more games, which included The Artful Escape, Ashen, and Telling Lies.[5][6][7]

In May 2020, it was announced that Nathan Vella, former president of Capybara Games, had joined the company as an executive.[8] In October 2020, Annapurna established an internal development studio in Los Angeles.[9]

In March 2022, video game journalism YouTube channel People Make Games reported on three video game studios publishing under Annapurna Interactive — Mountains, Fullbright, and Funomena. In all three cases, employees reportedly reached out to Annapurna Interactive, addressing concerns regarding abuse and a toxic work environment being created by the studio founders. In hopes of getting Annapurna Interactive to mediate, employees stated that the publisher was siding mostly with the individuals in question. According to one former studio employee, representatives of Annapurna Interactive had been quoted responding that "without strong personalities, games don't get made." Chris Bratt of People Make Games saw these incidents as part of a greater pattern of auteur culture that can be found across the film and video game industry.[10][11]

Games
YearTitleDeveloper(s)Platform(s)Ref.
2017 What Remains of Edith Finch Giant Sparrow Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS [12]
Flower Thatgamecompany Microsoft Windows, iOS [13]
Gorogoa Buried Signal Microsoft Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One [14]
2018 Florence Mountains iOS, Android, Microsoft Windows, MacOS, Nintendo Switch [15]
Donut County Ben Esposito Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, macOS, iOS, Android, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch [16]
Gone Home Fullbright Nintendo Switch, iOS [17]
Ashen A44 Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch [18]
2019 Outer Wilds Mobius Digital Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch [19]
Journey Thatgamecompany Microsoft Windows, iOS [20]
Telling Lies Sam Barlow, Furious Bee Microsoft Windows, macOS, iOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch [21]
Sayonara Wild Hearts Simogo Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, macOS, iOS, tvOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One [22]
Wattam Funomena Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 [23]
2020 Kentucky Route Zero Cardboard Computer Linux, Microsoft Windows, OS X, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One [24]
If Found... Dreamfeel Microsoft Windows, macOS, iOS, Nintendo Switch [25]
The Unfinished Swan Giant Sparrow Microsoft Windows, iOS [26]
I Am Dead Hollow Ponds, Richard Hogg Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S [27]
Due Process Giant Enemy Crab Microsoft Windows [28]
The Pathless Giant Squid Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, macOS, iOS, tvOS [29]
2021 Maquette Graceful Decay Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 [30]
Last Stop Variable State Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 [31]
Twelve Minutes Luis Antonio Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch [32]
The Artful Escape Beethoven & Dinosaur Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch [31]
Solar Ash Heart Machine Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 [33]
2022 A Memoir Blue Cloisters Interactive Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, iOS [34]
Neon White Angel Matrix Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch [35]
Hindsight Joel McDonald Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, iOS [36]
Stray BlueTwelve Studio Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 [37]
Open Roads Fullbright Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 [38]
TBA Skin Deep Blendo Games Microsoft Windows [39]
Storyteller Daniel Benmergui Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch [40]
Thirsty Suitors Outerloop Games Microsoft Windows [41]

Two limited edition box sets of eight games: Donut County, Kentucky Route Zero, Outer Wilds, Sayonara Wild Hearts, Wattam, What Remains of Edith Finch, Telling Lies, and Gorogoa, celebrating the first five years of the publisher, was released for the PlayStation 4 by Annapurna and iam8bit in late 2020.[42]

References
  1. "Privacy Policy - Annapurna Interactive". Annapurna Pictures. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  2. Sprangler, Todd (December 1, 2016). "Megan Ellison's Annapurna Pictures Launches Video Game Division". Variety. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
  3. Sinclair, Brandon (December 1, 2016). "Annapurna Pictures gets into game publishing". Gameindustry.biz. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
  4. Dornbush, Jonathon (December 1, 2016). "Annapurna Pictures Announces Video Game Publishing Division Annapurna Interactive". IGN. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
  5. D'Anastasio, Cecilia (30 March 2017). "A Musical Indie Game Starring A Teen With A Cosmic Guitar". Kotaku. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  6. Cosimano, Mike (June 11, 2017). "Open-world RPG Ashen is the next game from Annapurna Interactive". Destructoid. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
  7. Chalk, Andy (July 14, 2017). "Her Story creator reveals new game will be called Telling Lies". PC Gamer. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
  8. Takahashi, Dean (7 May 2020). "Annapurna Interactive hires indie game veteran Nathan Vella as a top executive". VentureBeat. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  9. Dealessandri, Marie (October 29, 2020). "Annapurna Interactive launches internal development studio". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  10. Bratt, Chris. "Investigating Three Indie Superstars Accused of Emotional Abuse". YouTube.com. People Make Games. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  11. Chalk, Andy (March 18, 2022). "Two reports paint a troubling picture of workplace abuses at acclaimed indie studios". PC Gamer. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
  12. "Annapurna gets into game publishing, starting with What Remains of Edith Finch". VG247. 2016-12-02. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
  13. Chalk, Andy (2019-02-14). "Flower, the 2009 PS3 hit, is finally on PC". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2019-02-23.
  14. Gorogoa Review - IGN, retrieved 2021-03-04
  15. "Florence is a game about love from the designer behind Monument Valley". The Verge. Retrieved 2018-01-05.
  16. de Rochefort, Simone (June 16, 2017). "Donut County: How I learned to love being a hole". Polygon. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
  17. McCarthy, Katy (August 22, 2018). "Gone Home on Switch Delayed to September". Eurogamer. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  18. Donnelly, Joe (2018-12-18). "Ashen review". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
  19. Takahashi, Dean (March 15, 2018). "Outer Wilds is about backpacking in outer space". Venture Beat. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  20. Battaglia, Alex (2019-07-11). "Does Journey's PC port deliver the definitive experience?". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
  21. Byrd, Christopher. "Analysis | 'Telling Lies': One of the most brilliant video games of the year". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
  22. "Sayonara Wild Hearts". Simogo. 2018-12-07. Retrieved 2018-12-08.
  23. McWhertor, Michael (2017-08-31). "Wattam is still alive, coming in 2018". Polygon. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
  24. McWhertor, Michael (2020-01-07). "Kentucky Route Zero reaches the end of the road". Polygon. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
  25. "If Found — dreamfeel". dreamfeel. Retrieved 2019-10-23.
  26. Chalk, Andy (2020-09-10). "Acclaimed PlayStation adventure The Unfinished Swan finally comes to PC". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
  27. Byrd, Christopher. "Review | 'I Am Dead' celebrates life through everyday objects". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
  28. Wales, Matt (2020-10-28). "Annapurna Interactive published tactical FPS Due Process out now in Steam early access". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
  29. "The Pathless Out in Holiday 2020 for PS4, PS5, and PC". GamingBolt. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  30. Wales, Matt (2021-02-08). "Annapurna's recursive puzzle adventure Maquette gets March release date". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
  31. Borthwick, Ben (November 19, 2020). "12 Minutes, The Artful Escape and Last Stop delayed to 2021". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  32. "ABOUT". TWELVE MINUTES. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  33. Dornbush, Jonathon (March 13, 2019). "Solar Ash Kingdom: Hyper Light Drifter Devs Reveal New Game". IGN. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  34. Ramée, Jordan (July 30, 2021). "A Memoir Blue Uses Music, 2D And 3D Animation To Tell Story Without Dialogue". GameSpot.
  35. "'Neon White' is a new game for Switch and PC from the guy behind 'Donut County'". Engadget. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
  36. Wales, Matt (15 April 2021). "Hindsight will explore memories after the death of a loved one". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  37. "Annapurna will launch Stray on the PS5 in 2021". VentureBeat. 2020-06-11. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
  38. Favis, Elise. "The making of 'Open Roads,' a game about mothers, daughters and road trips". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
  39. Van Allen, Eric (April 20, 2021). "Blendo Games partners with Annapurna for its immersive space FPS Skin Deep". Destructoid. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
  40. "Imaginative new puzzle game Storyteller lets you craft your own narrative". 29 July 2021.
  41. Purchese, Robert (2021-12-10). "Falcon Age dev reveals new game as Thirsty Suitors". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
  42. Van Allen, Eric (September 10, 2020). "Annapurna Interactive Is Releasing an Eight Game Box Set to Celebrate Its First Five Years". USGamer. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
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